How long do anti-predator interventions remain effective? Patterns, thresholds and uncertainty

Area of Science:

• Wildlife ecology
• Conservation biology
• Human-wildlife interactions

Background:

• Human-predator conflicts pose significant global challenges to asset protection.
• Understanding the temporal effectiveness of interventions is crucial for long-term conflict mitigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and analyze the temporal changes in effectiveness of non-invasive interventions against terrestrial mammalian predators.
• To identify time thresholds where intervention effectiveness declines.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a systematic review of published literature on non-invasive interventions for human-predator conflict.
• Analyzed 26 cases from 14 publications, focusing on electric fences and deterrents.
• Defined temporal trend lines for intervention effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Electric fences and calving control demonstrated sustained 100% effectiveness for 3 months to 3 years.
• Acoustical and light deterrents, and guarding animals, showed effectiveness erosion within 1-5 months.
• Supplemental feeding was counter-productive, increasing damage over time.

Conclusions:

• Electric fences and calving control are recommended for long-term human-predator conflict management.
• Routine monitoring and standardized time periods for evaluating intervention effectiveness are vital.
• The rapid decline in effectiveness of some deterrents necessitates adaptive management strategies.